Good Cop, Bad Cop
by Ultimolu
Summary: [AU] She was a highly decorated officer with experience under her belt. He was a cold, highly decorated officer with even more experience under his belt. When their worlds collide, all hell breaks loose. Will they ever get along? Or will they end up killing each other first?
1. Prologue: How I Got Into This Mess

**Notes**: Since I'm in a police officer story mood, I decided to start working on another story that's in a first person view. This one is a lot different from my other stories and was adopted from an older story in another fandom.

I hope you enjoy, and please, please provide feedback. It really helps me as a writer and it allows me to know whether you like the story or not.

One thing to note - I wanted to give Claire a middle name, and this story takes place in 2009, which means it's pure AU, and none of the RE stuff we know and love existed.

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><p><strong>|PROLOGUE<strong>: OR...RATHER HOW I GOT INTO THIS MESS

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><p><em>My life...will literally be forever changed.<em>

_And I do meant forever._

_No, I'm not going through PMS or some bizzare woman stuff people like to make up (like my mother, for example), so don't even go there. _

_Being a police officer in Los Angeles was normal at first. I was always locking away the bad guys; putting my no-nonsense attitude into good use. I took out more guys than my brother changes his socks (which is, almost never...no wonder there's a distinct cheesy smell coming from the hamper). I was the one who got the job done. I was the one who was efficient, productive, and determined to so whatever it took to see justice was served. It wasn't a surprise to me that I was considered some big name celebrity and guys were falling at my feet but...I don't really care about that anyway. _

_My name is Claire Beatrice Redfield, and I'm an officer of the law. I graduated at the top of my class in the police academy and quickly worked my way up to detective status. I've worked on cases that ranged from robberies, major homicides, and petty larceny. _

_I have to admit though, being a top officer isn't always easy. _

_Why?_

_Well, for one thing, you have to live up to your standards and working alone isn't a piece of cake either. I did have a partner at some point, but he transferred to a division in New York. I guess I was blessed with a guy with good looks and a friendly outlook on life, but I never really noticed him beyond a friend. _

_...Maybe I'm the weird one. _

_Well anyway, I thought I was doomed to work alone, until the impossible happened._

_My chief, in all his infinite and glorious wisdom decided that I needed a new partner because of a widening case that involved the mob and a huge drug bust. He wanted me to get on as soon as possible, but I needed a partner who was even more experienced and decorated than I was. At first, I was really annoyed by his 'wise' reasoning-I mean, who the hell did he take me for? Did he really think I couldn't handle myself? But of course, I took everything in stride and said; "You know what Claire? Everything is going to work out fine and you'll get through this. Hell, you might even like this new partner!"_

_I mean, it couldn't be so bad, right?_

_Right?_

_Nope, life doesn't work that way, it seems._

_Unfortunately, that was when my life in purgatory began..._


	2. Chapter One: Mr Freeze

**Notes**: Thanks so much for the reviews so far! I felt that I needed a huge change from the dreary Resident Evil stuff we've been seeing in this section so prepare for lots of humor.

I kid you not, this entire chapter panned out exactly how I imagined it.

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><p><strong>|CHAPTER ONE: <strong>MR. FREEZE

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><p><strong><em>Downtown, Los Angeles<em>**

**_10:00am_**

Today was a typical morning.

I mean, the sky was clear, the birds were singing, children were crossing the street in an orderly fashion for school...and I was screaming at the top of my lungs.

"Stop, LAPD!"

Here I was, running as fast as my legs could carry me, barreling into people, knocking over outside tables and chairs at local cafes, as I chased down an obvious purse thief. He was giving me a good workout, and I was crankier than an old lady on bingo night. No morning coffee, no bagel, not even a damn piece of bacon. Throw in the fact that my brother nearly burned down the kitchen back at the house trying to make breakfast, old man Parker complaining about our puppy Yippy howling in the middle of the night, and finding a huge spider in my kitchen sink, I was having probably the best morning of my entire life.

Just lovely.

No, I was just seconds away from strangling this criminal once I got my hands wrapped around his neck.

Downtown Los Angeles was notorious for the surfer weather. While the typical beach bums enjoyed surfing and hanging out, the weather for normal people like me was hell on earth. It didn't help that sweat stains were developing underneath my navy blue button down shirt, and strands of auburn hair was plastered to my face.

I was dressed as professional as can be when it came to being a top officer in the LAPD. Black jacket, black pants, Mary Jane's, and a buttoned down shirt, tucked in my pants. My holster was also black and strapped around my torso, and my badge was clipped to my pants in plain view. There was a joke circulating around the office that I dressed like a federal agent, but I didn't care. Criminals feared a woman in black...or that's what I heard on a television show weeks ago.

But right now, this wasn't the time to reminisce on television shows.

"Sorry!" I yelled behind my back, after barreling into yet another person. This guy was either trying to be the next Jackie Chan with his stunts or I was really unlucky. I was in shape and could definitely hold my own, but at this point, the _Clairenator_ (_the nickname my brother decided to give me one day_) was running low on energy.

Yup…I needed my coffee.

It also didn't help that we were nearing yet another café with another batch of people eating breakfast before they headed to work or whatever they usually did.

As if this day couldn't get any worse.

Sometimes, I wondered why I couldn't get my brother's job. Sure, it was an office job and you were surrounded by guys talking about sports and chicks all day but at least you didn't have to chase down wanna be stunt doubles or idiots who thought they were above the law. I mean, yes I said I loved my job but when you're running low on caffeine and you're chasing a crook downtown on one of the busiest days of the week, you start to wonder if you made the right call in your career.

"Damnit!"

A string of expletives flew out of my mouth, as I dodged two handymen carrying boxes to their truck. I could have ran right into them if I hadn't spun around like a ballerina to avoid the looming disaster. At least I still had the perp within my sight and he didn't try crossing the street in the middle of traffic. I had to hand it to him- at least he wasn't a suicidal perp.

Lo and behold, we reached the café. Hence the screams, commotion, tables flipping over, chairs flipping over, and waiters nearly falling on their faces to get out of the way.

All except for one man that was sitting rather calm at a table, his legs crossed and reading a newspaper. Either he was too preoccupied to know what was going on (_you know, he could have been listening to music on headphones or something_), or he knew what was going on but chose to ignore it. Either way, he was going to get hurt if I didn't yell at him to get out of the way.

And, to make matters worse, the perp was heading in his direction.

"Sir, please get of the way!" I shouted, jumping over a toppled chair. But my warning came too late, as the collision was seconds away from happening.

Except, that it didn't happen, which would have a great relief to me but what happened next was not what I expected at all. The man dropped the newspaper on the table, rose from his chair, and held his arm out. The next thing I knew, my elusive thief freaked out, but he didn't have time to even stop himself before he did a backflip in the air, and landed on the ground face first. Yes, ladies and gentlemen, the man I was so concerned with just closelined a street punk who gave me trouble for about twenty minutes.

…Ouch?

A groan could be heard, as the purple leather bag also flipped in the air and landed on the ground next to him. Mascera, change, and eyeliners spilled out onto the sidewalk.

I skidded to a halt.

My jaw dropped.

Cartoon style.

Commotion stirred, as onlookers and customers just stared. I mean, it wasn't often that you see a tall blond who looked like he was in his forties in the middle of downtown Los Angeles, dressed like a secret service agent, right?

A very expensive looking secret service agent, that is.

Well, normally I didn't have a fangirl effect over attractive men but the one before me took attraction to a whole new level. Slick, blond hair, the deepest pair of blue eyes I have ever seen in my life, well-built but not overly muscular, polished black leather shoes, along with a suit and a black silk tie…I didn't know whether I was living in the twilight zone or reality. This guy looked like someone you would see in a magazine and probably would have made a fine model for Sports Illustrated.

I could have sworn a blush fluttered to my cheeks.

'_Stop it Claire, stop it! This is not the time to be admiring a citizen who just did your job in the first place! He interfered! This was a police matter! You would have caught this street punk eventually!_' I scolded myself.

'_But you have to admit, he's rather um…presentable._'

Wait, where did that other voice come from?!

Shaking my head as hard as I could, I made my way over. Well, my elusive thief was unconscious now, making it rather easy to slap my handcuffs on him and drag him back to my car, which was back where I came from. But before I could do anything, Mr. Tall and Sexy…err I mean random citizen guy bent down and grabbed the perp by the collar of his Hawaiian t-shirt and pulled him up from the ground.

A mental wince shot through me.

Double ouch.

My perp's face was busted. Broken nose, blood on the sidewalk…hopefully he didn't have some teeth missing too because I would definitely have the chief on my tail for this. Well, not that he wouldn't be on my tail for the strings of injuries this guy sustained but this wasn't even my fault to begin with.

This day just gets better and better.

I better take over before anything else goes wrong.

"Thank you…I'll take it from here sir…" I began, as soon as random citizen guy (I will not say tall and sexy again, I swear on my aunt's cheesecake) got back to his feet, but I was met with a rather cold stare.

"Claire Beatrice Redfield." That voice alone would make even the bravest of men hide under their beds. Deep, authoritative, and militaristic-sounding…wait a freaking minute, how did random citizen guy know me?

I didn't even get a chance to ask, let alone say anything before he continued on. "I should have known it was you, based on the path of destruction that was probably left behind blocks away."

Path of destruction?

What the hell was this guy on? And how did he know me?

Suddenly, random citizen guy wasn't looking very appealing at the moment. The way he sounded, you'd think he was scolding a child in front of her friends. In this case, people were watching, and I felt like a little girl.

"Excuse me, but do I know you?" I asked. "I…don't think you're in any position to tell me how to do my job. I didn't ask you to interfere. It was helpful, but at the same time I have a busted criminal to take to the local medical office, thanks to you."

"Thanks to me?" A thin smirk graced random citizen's lips. "If I hadn't intervened, your path of destruction would have spread down to Cortland Street. And for the record, I know you well enough to notice that you're undisciplined and reckless. If you did have the right discipline, you would have taken down your perp much quicker without risking lives in the first place."

Just who in the world did this guy think he was?

And that was when the infamous Redfield temper reared its ugly head. Yes, that temper that made grown men howl and my brother run for the nearest hills. Chris was too easygoing for his own good, while I inherited my father's anger.

This random citizen was going to get one good piece of my mind.

"Listen, and listen well…" I began, my voice reduced to the sound of a venomous snake. "Unless you want to get arrested along with the purse thief, I suggest that you hold your tongue. I don't know who you are or how you know my name, but I am not in the goddamn mood right now. I don't have my coffee and I haven't had breakfast yet. I don't need some random businessman telling me what I should have done when he doesn't even know the first thing about being a cop. Keep your snotty opinions to yourself, or I guarantee things won't be pretty for you. Are we clear? Or do I have to take this short conversation to a level you can understand?"

Then I waited, expecting random citizen to run, scream, or quake in fear to the point he handed over my perp. But no, this man just stood there and gave me a raised, single blond eyebrow.

"As an officer of the law, I believe I know firsthand how to do the actual job you clearly haven't done for the past twenty minutes." Never have I seen anyone not flinch in the presence of my rage….wait a minute, this guy was an officer?!

No…way.

No, absolutely not. I heard him wrong.

Cue my jaw hitting the ground, again.

"It's also surprising to note that you didn't realize I was an officer as well, considering that I gave you a rather daunting assessment of what I thought about your skills. I have a photographic memory, and I do recall the picture I saw matching your description. A redhead in her natural habitat, insulting a superior. I don't know how you survived the academy, but I can tell your attitude will be a test of my patience. I also don't care whether you've had your morning coffee or forgot to feed your cat. That doesn't concern me."

Did he just insult me again?

No he didn't…oh no he didn't.

Officer or not, he just crossed the line.

"So you're an officer who's so far up his ass that he doesn't even know his head from his torso." I snapped. "Tell me, just who the hell are you? I would like a name please, that way I can report you and have you written up for insulting a fellow officer."

Random-citizen-who-turned-out-to-be-an-officer still didn't flinch. "I only told you how you should have done your job. I didn't insult you. I believe you were the one who lashed out first."

"That's because you insulted me first!" I yelled, stamping my foot for emphasis. That monotone voice was getting to me alright…it was getting to me good. How this guy even survived the academy without ticking someone off is beyond my guess. Hey, if he can question my status at the academy years ago, then so can I.

"Well, this isn't surprising either. You're also acting like a five year old with the mannerisms of a spoiled brat. Please continue, I'm sure you'll make a fine officer in front of these people." Mr. Freeze (_which is he is now known as_) said. He might have been enjoying this; I wouldn't even know because his expression was unreadable.

At this point, it didn't matter because steam was just pouring from my ears. To make matters even worse, he reached into his jacket and pulled out a pair of dark, tinted sunglasses and placed them on his face with one hand.

I gritted my teeth and was about to snap at him again, but my inner yen was pleading with me not to cause an even bigger scene.

_Be one with the yen Claire, be one with the yen. Deep breaths…deep breaths…no reason to go toe to toe against this guy…_

"And my name is Officer Wesker, just in case you want to write up that report. But I doubt you'll get far."

_Be one with the yen Claire, one with the yen…_

Somehow, I doubt this yen stuff was working at all.

Stupid taichi classes...

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><p><strong><em>perp: <em>**\noun\

_a perpetrator especially of a crime_


	3. Chapter Two: My New What?

**Notes**: Thanks so much for the reviews. I'm having fun with this story, trust me.

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><p><strong>|CHAPTER TWO<strong>: MY NEW WHAT?!

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><p>"…I see that you've met your new partner."<p>

At this point, I didn't know whether to laugh or engulf Chief Randall's office within my flames of pure, unadulterated rage.

No, absolutely not.

This had to be a joke.

It was a sick, demented joke, and if there was a devil, he was laughing at my predicament. Then again, the devil was probably the tall blond freezer I was forced to put up with for another twenty agonizing minutes while my perp was stitched up at the local medical center. So let's see…I still don't have my coffee, women are drooling at the said blond outside of the office (while he just ignores them), and my stomach continues to growl.

Lovely.

Before we get to my superior, let's have a flashback, shall we?

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><p>…<p>

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><p><em><strong>Flashback<strong>_

_"You…you're the one who broke my nose!"_

_It's not often that a perp freaks out over an officer, but in the case of the blond freezer, it didn't seem very surprising. Here I am, standing by the window, while Mr. Freeze (I refuse to call him by his name because he hasn't earned that privilege) is leaning against the wall, his arms folded across his chest. We were just waiting for a nurse to come by and slap a couple of stiches on his broken nose and bruises before we dragged him back to headquarters. After seeing the shiny gold badge, I concluded that a. Mr. Freeze was telling the truth about being an officer, and b. He was a transfer from Washington. _

_Everything else was up in smoke because that's all he shared with me._

_The medical center wasn't any different from what you usually saw at a hospital. Depressing green walls, polished light green floors, and medical equipment. Ramos was lying down on the green medical couch bed before he saw Mr. Freeze, screamed like a little girl and pointed a shaky finger at him._

_And of course, said Mr. Freeze just gave him another one of his cold stares. _

_If sweatdrops existed in real life and not in anime, a huge one would have formed over my head already._

"_You've succeeded in traumatizing my perp, congratulations." I said, staring at him. "I'm sure we'll have a great time bringing him back to headquarters. Maybe we should ask the nurses for diapers or some tranquilizers before we leave."_

"_You should have done your job well and I wouldn't have intervened." Mr. Freeze answered. "I would say this was mostly your fault, Officer Redfield."_

"_My fault?"_

_Screw the taichi classes, they weren't even working at this point. _

"_How was this my fault?! I didn't ask you to slam into my perp and break his nose! How the hell was I supposed to know that he was going to run off and give me such a hard time?"_

"_Did you guys handcuff me to this bed?!" Ramos was in full panic mode, yanking at the single handcuff that pinned him to the bed to prevent him from escaping. _

_But at the moment, he was being ignored._

"_You must be very naïve or just ignorant. It took you nearly an hour to take down a street punk."_

"_Did you just call me naïve and ignorant?!"_

_Okay, that's it. I had enough of the string of insults this jerk just spewed at me from since we got here. I marched right up to him and just stood there, both hands on hips. Yes, the height difference was definitely there but do you think I was scared of this guy? No, I've taken down thugs bigger than him. I was not the least intimidated. _

_He just stared down at me, dark sunglasses and all. _

_Um…on second thought, I take that back. I could have sworn a chill shot through my spinal cord when I stood there. _

"_Did I just stutter? You heard what I said well enough Officer Redfield." Did he just give me that infuriating, tight lipped smirk again?_

_Oh no, no, no. You don't insult a Redfield and just smirk. _

"_Who the hell do you think you are?" I demanded, trying very hard to look just as intimidating…which was a complete and utter failure, considering that there was a height difference and he wasn't bothered by my super saiyin mode (yes, anime is a hobby of mine, go figure). "Listen, and listen well. I will not have a man like you insult my intelligence. You either stand down or—"_

"_Or what? You'll throw another childish tantrum? As you can tell, I'm not impressed with your pitiful attempts to scare me."_

"_My pitiful attempts to scare you? You don't know me as well as you think you do because believe me, I can be your best friend or your worst enemy. I'm not scared of you either because if you think I am, you're dead wrong."_

"_I'm sure you will be eventually. I won't be merciful, I assure you."_

"_What the hell is that supposed to mean?"_

"_I'm sure an officer with your intellect will find out one way or another."_

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><p>…<p>

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><p>And, we're back to the present.<p>

"My new what?!" I yelled, seconds away from freaking out. "With all due respect sir, are you insane? That…that man outside isn't stable. He made me feel like a little child! He was the reason why the perp had to go to the clinic before we brought him here! You possibly cannot be serious. You are really telling me that I have to work with that…that—"

"His name is Officer Albert Wesker—"

"I don't care who he is! He threatened me! He insulted me! He tried to tell me how to do _**my**_ job, as if he's some freaking expert—"

"He was a CIA agent and served as an advisor to the president. He also has extensive military training and discipline, something of which you seem to be lacking right now."

"Just because he's older than me, doesn't give him the right to…what?!"

Okay…now my jaw dropped for probably the fourth time.

He was a what...? He used to do what? As much of an asshole Mr. Freeze was, even I couldn't deny that was impressive.

Yes, I stood in front of my boss's office, dumbfounded by what he just said. Now Chief Randal was what you would call a family man. He was in his late fifties, a bit on the chubby side, with dark eyes, and normally wore a simple white shirt with the sleeves rolled up, black slacks and a different colored tie every day. He had three children, (_and the oldest was a female detective_), one grandchild, and was happily married. Why I mentioned this stuff? Well, that's because my boss was easygoing in some cases, unless you really did something wrong to piss him off. At this point, I'm certain he was pissed right now, otherwise he wouldn't have mentioned my lack of 'disciplinary' skills.

That reminds me of what a certain blond just said the minute he rendered my perp unconscious.

"You heard what I said Officer Redfield. He was also a top officer in the Washington Police Department. He was recommended by the high-ups in Washington to join the LAPD, and I'll be damned if you make me look stupid in front of my superiors. Now, I expect you to get along with your new partner over a cup of Joe at the local diner because I'm sure you two will need to get acquainted."

I just shook my head in absolute horror. No, this was not happening. This was a bad nightmare I need to wake up from. Maybe if I closed my eyes and opened them up, I'll be back in my bed, and I'll face a satisfying morning with a cup of Joe and scrambled eggs with bacon and toast.

So I closed my eyes and prayed to whatever deity was listening that this wasn't real.

Only to open them and see that I'm still in my boss's simple office (_two potted plants near the window, a mahogany desk with his nameplate, one of those large desk calendars you'll see in an office, a large shelf with awards, certificates and pictures of his children and one grandchild, and two mahogany armchairs in front of the desk_), and he wasn't smiling at all.

"This will work out better than you think it will Redfield. Consider this a challenge…and I'm pretty sure there's some things you both have in common."

In common?

What the hell could I have in common with Mr. Freeze? He was a jerk, a masochist, and had a rather extreme dislike for women. Or rather…he didn't like seeing a woman as an officer of the law…I mean the insults were just spewing out of his mouth like venom.

Already, I was beginning to hate my life.

"I don't think we have anything in common," I said. "Even Officer Kennedy didn't go at great lengths to make me look like a five year old."

"That's because Kennedy was a softie." Chief Randall snapped. "He took your banter for five years. It's time for a change Redfield and you need to get with the program."

That was it.

There was no point in arguing with my boss. The taichi classes failed me, the local spa treatments failed me, and I was in over my head. But seriously, the guy who's easygoing is calling my last partner soft? Maybe Chief Randall wasn't feeling well or had a fight with his wife or older daughter. Maybe he woke up on the wrong side of the bed and by tomorrow, he'll tell me that Mr. Freeze was reassigned to another officer. Then that officer will probably lose their sanity in the process but hey, as long as it wasn't me, I'll be fine.

I just had to wait until the next day and everything will return to normal. Ah-ha! That was the trick. I'll just have to survive today, go home, get some good Chinese food, get a night's rest and come back refreshed in the morning.

For now, I'll just have to handle Mr. Freeze on my own, since Chief Randall wasn't on my side.

"You know what sir, I do need a change," I said, in the sweetest way possible. "I'm sure Officer Wesker and I will get along just fine. You're absolutely right."

Chief Randall's eyebrow rose. "…Are you up to something Redfield? Because I swear, if you do anything to jeopardize my department or job…"

"No, no! Everything is perfectly fine." I assured him with a smile. "Maybe I'll learn a thing or two from Mr. Free-I mean Officer Wesker, of course."

Great…he was still giving me that weird look.

I was beginning to feel uneasy now.

"One minute you're up in arms about your new partner and now you're accepting this whole thing? You better be sincere with that remark Redfield. I don't want to hear anything about you causing trouble—"

"Me, cause trouble? No, of course not! Why would I cause trouble? Like you said…it's time for a change. I'm willing to accept it. Really sir, I'll be fine."

And…he was still giving me that weird look. It only felt like an eternity, before he released me from his suspicious glare. "I'm glad…that you saw things my way, Officer Redfield. Now get out of my office."

And so I did.

Tomorrow couldn't come any sooner.


	4. Chapter Three: Acquaintance Issues

Wow, thanks so much for the reviews and support! Sorry this chapter took a while, but at least it's here. I did some editing here and there with the rest of the chapters but everything remains the same, pretty much. I took down Chapter 4 of _Sin City_ because it was definitely too short and needed to be reworked. Also, I am working on an update to _Resident Evil: Legacy_. I also had a Resident Evil vampire story in mind.

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><p><strong>CHAPTER THREE<strong>: GETTING ACQUAINTED AND…FAILING AT IT

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><p>Getting through today however, was proving to be more difficult than I imagined.<p>

You see, Mr. Freeze didn't like to talk. Well, he talked, but it was monotone and reminded me all too well of some android with a stick shoved up its ass.

The only bodily motions I ever received at the local café was a raised eyebrow, and a rather deadpan look. Apparently, the newspaper was more interesting than my 'friendly' talk because he didn't care about my questions or the hobbies I did when I'm not chasing down criminals. To make matters worse, my waitress friend – Wendy, was staring at him at the corner of her eye like a lovesick puppy on crack while she delivered coffee to the construction workers across from our table.

I was expecting some of that coffee to spill and burn some guy's pecker soon from now.

Just great…not only is Mr. Freeze the coldest human being on the planet, he was also a female magnet. Anymore walking around downtown Los Angeles and I'll get mauled by every woman on the street. Women either believed it was my husband, or my boyfriend…which explained the whispers, jeers, and the glares that oozed with jealousy.

Could I tell them that Mr. Freeze was just a fellow detective and my new partner? No, absolutely not, because it would have made things even more uncomfortable.

Well, I can't say the trip to the café was a complete and utter disaster, unless you count Mr. Freeze glaring at me when I wanted to listen to _Steel Rain_, other than the rather boring international news. I mean, yeah it should be something I should listen to but with the crap I've been through, I wanted nothing more than to relax and listen to my favorite rockband.

So, majority rules.

In your face iceman.

I got my coffee, eggs, bacon, and two buttery pieces of toast to mow down while Mr. Freeze decided on black coffee with no sugar, let alone milk. How someone could even stand coffee like that is beyond my guess. It's probably a health thing but then again, I wouldn't know.

It's not easy to communicate with a caveman stuck in the Ice Age.

Trust me, I've tried.

But again, if I gave up that easily, it would make this day more intolerable than I could stand, right?

"So…I heard you were some top CIA agent…" I began, as I stuffed my jaws with the heaven-sent goodness of cheesy eggs. Jake's Café made perhaps the best scrambled eggs on the planet. With gruyere and provolone cheese, red bell peppers, and onions mixed with fluffy goodness, it was my comfort food for lousy days. The joint wasn't bad either, with the mahogany and red seated booths, overhanging red lamps that were stuck in the 1970's, and polished wooden floors. Waitresses were dressed in red shirts and black dresses, complete with bow ties of the same red color. The owner – Joe Pastiche took over after his father passed away two years ago. I have to admit – the kid did good and kept the place in order so far.

"…like…secret agent man or something. I have to say, I'm impressed. So tell me, why did you decide to join our lowly department?"

Mr. Freeze didn't even look up from the newspaper. "Are you genuinely curious, or is this another round of your fifty questions?"

It took pure willpower not to choke over what was left in my mouth. "Why…the hell…I am not asking a round of fifty questions! Since we'll be working together, I'd like to know about my new partner, his past and what he likes doing for fun. Given your attitude and the fact you're already treating me like crap, I'd have to say you don't have much of a life."

I must have caught his attention, because the newspaper was lowered, and the frozen pits of the Anarchic was focused on me. "I prefer to keep our relationship professional. I don't see anything wrong with that, considering that we're on duty and I only accompanied you to this café because you wouldn't stop moaning about your morning coffee and breakfast. As much as it would amuse me to see you in such a state, I didn't want a crippled partner on my hands."

"No, you accompanied me because the chief wanted us to get to know each other." This day can't be happening. This was purgatory, and this man was the antichrist sent to eradicate me. "And why would you be amused…okay, you know what? Just forget it. I was just asking a round of innocent questions and you're acting like I threw a pot of hot water on you. Good grief, lighten up already. What in the world did I even do to you?"

"Everything you needed to know about me was in the file. It wouldn't be my fault if you didn't read it in the first place. Also, I'm perfectly fine, thanks for asking."

Yes, just ignore my last question, why don't you…

If looks could kill, Mr. Freeze would have been the one to fear me. It took everything in me not to scream and throw an entire plate of food at his head. He was just infuriating. Everything he said, it was just begging for me to just explode like a firecracker on New Year's Eve. But, I had to maintain control of my yin and yang, so instead, I decided to smile and shake it off.

"You're right…our relationship should remain professional. Maybe I overstepped my boundaries." No, it didn't sound very sincere at all because Mr. Freeze picked up on it.

"As much as you try to sugarcoat your responses with me, the currently arrangements have already been made. We're partners, whether you accept that or not. The next day will come, and everything will remain the same way. I suggest you get used to it."

A piece of egg dropped from my lips and onto the plate, as my smile wavered. He couldn't have known about that…is he a mind reader?! How did he know about this? What could have gave that away?!

"…I…have…no idea…what you're…talking about…" I stammered.

For the first time, Mr. Freeze's smirk widened to an inch. "I think you do. I'm sure you were hoping for me to disappear, so you can go on with your life. I detected that in your body movement and language. You tried to apologize just now, and your reaction failed. How stupid do you think I am? I wasn't born yesterday. I know the difference between faking sincerity, and true sincerity. Please, for your sake, don't make this relationship harder than it is. I would hate for you to get…'hurt', of course."

And with that, the newspaper was picked up and the two balls of ice were gone from view.

Wait, was that another threat? Was Chief Randall out of his mind?! He set me up to work with a sociopath! A sociopath who reads minds!

I was beginning to lose my appetite.

My fingers were just quivering with rage, as the fork lowered to my plate. "You…you…!"

The humiliation was real, folks.

I could just feel the glances in our direction. I could have sworn one old lady mutter to her husband how cute it was that a young couple was having their first quarrel. Why in the world do people think we're a couple?! I mean, he was very attractive but…absolutely not! I wouldn't even get near him if he was the last man on the planet! You know, if I wasn't a model citizen, I would have given that woman one good piece of my mind before I mouthed off to Mr. Freeze. Causing another scene was the last thing I needed, but given this new situation, an even worse day was inevitable.

Oh goody.

"What is it, Officer Redfield? Did you lose the ability to talk?" He was still reading that freaking newspaper.

"No, I did not lose the ability to talk!" I snapped. "Just stop…doing that! How did your superiors even survive with you! How did anyone survive in Washington?! Never, have I ever seen a man who's beyond sociopathic, detests women, and…and…how?! How did you even have a partner and he didn't go insane?!"

And of course, Mr. Sociopathic Freezer had a witty comeback.

"I don't see having respect for my job as being a sociopathic tendency. I don't hate women. You're just a special case I need to deal with for the time being. And for the record, my former partners are doing rather well. One, in fact decided to get into finance and quit the force. Now, if there's anything else you'd like to discuss, I believe that your eggs are getting cold and we're wasting time."

This didn't sit well with me one iota. "How am I a special case?! I was just fine until Chef Randall decided to make my life a living nightmare! Sticking me with…a human freeze pop!"

Mr. Freeze just gave me one of those short laughs that oozed with sarcasm. "A human freeze pop? I actually like the sound of that."

"That wasn't a compliment!"

"Coming from you, I'd say it was."

Boy did my eyes narrow. "You always have some comeback, don't you? Day one, and I hate your guts already. One way or another, Chief Randall's going to see how much of a mistake it was to pair me with a sociopathic nutjob."

The infamous eyebrow raise presented itself once more. "And how did that go? You stomped out of the office like a spoiled child and nearly toppled over a poor rookie carrying files. I'm sure Chief Randall didn't see it as a mistake, otherwise I would have been reassigned already. How did Officer Kennedy put up with you? I think that would make an interesting conversation, don't you think?"

"He put up with me because he was a good man and he wasn't a jerk! And that rookie was in the way!"

"No, he allowed you to get away with your tantrums. Fortunately, you now have someone to keep you in line. As for the 'hating my guts' part, I take that as a compliment as well."

This man…was just infuriating.

Just plain infuriating.

He was an infuriating, egotistical, sociopathic train wreck.

And I was stuck with him.

I really couldn't say anymore. I exhausted my bags of comebacks, and my breakfast was getting cold. Without a single word, I just grabbed my fork from the plate, grabbed a large fluffy portion of eggs and shoved it in my mouth.

"You chew like a cow. I can hear it over the table."

…I think my blood pressure shot up when dearest Mr. Freeze said that, because I did what no sane officer would have done in their career. I jumped from my seat, marched over, and yanked the newspaper out of his hands. People were staring alright, as a commotion developed around me. But did I care? No, because I ripped the newspaper to shreds and threw it in the nearby trash.

Then, I was back in his face again. "I have no problems punching out a fellow officer, because believe me, I won't hesitate to do it."

Mr. Freeze just lowered his hands, and turned to face me. "Then by all means, try it, because I guarantee this won't end well for you."

This time, I was the one laughing. "Won't end well for me? I think you're a bit confused because I don't think it'll end well for you."

He folded his arms, right in front of me. "I don't have to move from this table to disable you."

And that's when my laugh stopped, only to be replaced with a frown. "Is that so? You know, just because you took out my perp, doesn't mean you're getting away with taking me on."

Oh, those comebacks kept coming alright. "I would warn you to stand down, but I might find this challenge very interesting. I'm curious to see what they actually taught you at the academy."

The hairs on my neck bristled, as I turned into the Clairenator.

And that was when all hell broke loose.


End file.
